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Do you have questions about exercise or nutrition? Let grrlAthlete help you find the answer you’ve been looking for. Feel free contact us at grrl@grrlAthlete.com (or just hit reply to one of our newsletters), if we don’t have the answer, we’ll find someone who does. Content
grrl Motivation As the year comes to completion, we encourage our readers to take a look back at the grrlAthlete.com archives. Read all of our newsletters to get expert advice on how to improve your workouts and meet your fitness goals: http://www.grrlathlete.com/Fitness-Exercise-Nutrition 1 – The Are you ready for “The Simple Way to Lose Weight”? Just in time for the New Year, our new e-book is the perfect entry level fat loss product for any woman, whether you are just starting your first weight loss program or even if you’ve tried all other beginner workout programs on the market. If losing fat is your goal for 2005, then you’ll love our comprehensive day-by-day guideline to finally achieve weight loss success. We literally put together an 84-day plan for you to follow, telling you precisely what action to take each day to get you closer to your goal. No other female fat loss book gives you so much advice and in such great detail. Not to mention the book includes the best and most efficient and effective workout program for a beginner female looking to lose weight. The contents of the book include: • Lifestyle Review • Self-Contract • 33 Simple Lifestyle Tips to Lose Fat • Eat This, Not That • FAQ & Simple Answers • Goal Setting • Workout Instructions • Beginner Workouts • Intermediate Workouts • Advanced Workouts • 84-Day Guide • Exercise Descriptions • Exercise Photos so that you’ll know exactly how to do the workouts! The 2 – How to Pick a Personal Trainer Q: What certification should I look for in a personal trainer? Answer: The most important thing to consider is that no certification will guarantee that someone is a great trainer. The information taught in almost all certifications is generally outdated and basic. It is really up to the trainer to learn outside of the certification process. A good trainer will have a mentor (preferably many mentors) that has shown them how to successfully deal with many situations, train people efficiently and effectively, and how to design a great training program. A good trainer should also possess critical thinking skills. They shouldn’t simply do what all the other trainers are doing or copy workouts and exercises straight from a book or website. At grrlAthlete.com, we prefer basic, no-fluff exercises and routines. Hard work always gets you results. And we can justify every exercise that we include in each workout. The trainer you choose should also be able to justify their exercise programs. We encourage you to set a high standard when choosing your trainer. After all, your trainer is in charge of your body and your health. You should demand a lot from your trainer. That’s the only way your training will reach another level. Feel free to email grrlAthlete.com and ask for trainer recommendations throughout 3 – Elite Women’s Hockey Training: Part 2 In Part 1 of her interview, Strength Coach Kim McCullough discussed the most effective ways to strength train and to improve speed for ice hockey. In this issue, she’ll tell us how to structure training for the season as well as how to reduce injury. Kim received a degree in Molecular Biology from Dartmouth College (NCAA) where she was a member of the varsity women’s hockey team for four years. She was a captain of the Ivy League and ECAC Championship team in her final season at Since graduating, Kim has had the opportunity to work with several high-profile strength coaches and has trained numerous NHL, NFL and National Team athletes. She spent 2003 training young hockey players in the In addition to working with young athletes, Kim has been playing in the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) for the last 3 seasons. After spending last season training at the Olympic Oval in Kim is a certified strength and conditioning coach and sport movement specialist and is currently working as a personal trainer at TOTUM Life Science in GA: How do you structure your training in the pre-season and during the season? KM: In the pre-season, I train five times a week. As the season approaches, I will go on the ice twice a week at the most. I find that my body needs time off from skating during the summer to recover completely from a long season that stretches from September to April. I will run sprints and do speed, agility, quickness training twice a week in the pre-season to compliment my three training sessions in the weight room. I often incorporate SAQ drills as part of my warm-up prior to weight training sessions. I always perform a thorough dynamic warm-up for about 15 minutes prior to every training session. During the season, I am on the ice between 4 and 6 times per week so I have to be careful not to overdo it. All of my off-ice training sessions are under one hour long. I do a speed, agility, quickness training session once a week to work on proper technique in addition to two or three strength training sessions. These strength training sessions are short but intense to prevent over-training. I also incorporate a good amount of restorative training in-season (stretching, yoga, massage) to prevent injury. I always make sure to take at least one complete day off from training every week. GA: What are common ice hockey injuries and how do you train to avoid them? KM: Common overuse injuries in hockey are groin pulls, hip flexor injuries and low back strains. For the most part, the injuries can be avoided through proper training in the off-season and proper stretching in-season. I incorporate a lot of hip flexibility and stability exercises into the training program during the off-season and pre-season to prepare the muscles for the skating motion. Low-back endurance should be an integral part of all off-season training programs for hockey players to help counterbalance tightness in the hip flexors and abdominals. Common acute injuries in hockey are knee and shoulder sprains. Athletes are often pre-disposed to such injuries because of poor posture and tightness in the muscles that develop as the season progresses. GA: When you assess players and athletes prior to making their programs, what tests do you use and which do you find most helpful for injury prevention and talent identification? KM: When working with hockey players, I often assess stabilizer strength in the shoulder, hip and knee joints. Joint stability, especially in the knees and hips, is essential to proper lateral movement mechanics. I assess an athlete’s lateral movement patterns through simple jumping, shuffling and bounding drills. It is important to assess an athlete’s kinaesthetic awareness because a high level of body control is necessary in all multi-directional sports. Testing single leg balance/strength and core stability/strength gives me a good idea of whether the athlete is moving both effectively and efficiently. GA: Thanks for the answers. Let’s finish off with some basic nutrition. What are your pre- and post-game nutrition plans? KM: I eat a balanced pre-game meal (incorporating low glycemic carbohydrates, easily digested proteins and some fat) two to three hours prior to the puck drop. I make sure to have high glycemic fruit on hand in the locker room for between periods. I eat a healthy meal as soon as possible after the game to facilitate proper recovery. Most importantly, I drink a ton of water on game day to make sure that I remain properly hydrated throughout the game. I try to drink at least four litres of water a day to ensure high hydration levels. GA: If you want to comment on anything else, please do. KM: Young athletes in multi-directional sports such as hockey, soccer and basketball, must focus on being great all-around athletes prior to training in a sport-specific manner. My advice for female athletes: Don’t be afraid to be strong! If you can build general strength and body control at a younger age, you will be unstoppable as you get older and you begin training more specifically for your sport.
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Issue 39